Diane Ademu-John, the creator of the upcoming prequel spinoff series Dune: The Sisterhood has reportedly stepped down as the co-showrunner. The series, being developed for HBO Max, is set thousands of years before the events of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and will follow the rise of the all-female group Bene Gesserit. 

Alison Schapker will take the role of the showrunner while Ademu-John will remain as the executive producer of the series. Johan Renck, who is directing the first episode of the series, announced through an Instagram post that the filming began in Budapest yesterday. 

Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson will play the lead roles in the prequel series while the rest of the cast also includes Indira Varma, Travis Fimmel, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, and Chloe Lea.

The series is currently expected to release after Dune: Part 2 which is currently filming and is scheduled to hit theatres on 3 November 2023.